Boeing's February 2023 order book changes revealed

US's Ryan Air Alaska joins forces with Saltchuk Aviation

Small family-owned cargo carrier Ryan Air Alaska (7S, Aniak) has joined forces with cargo specialist Saltchuk Aviation, which is bolstering its Alaska presence and plans to grow its widebody fleet and services, the company announced on social media.

"Saltchuk Aviation continues to grow and add to the array of services we can offer our customers. We're thrilled to welcome Ryan Air [Alaska] into our family of companies, and we're looking forward to the future!" the company stated.

The details of the deal were not disclosed. On inquiry, a spokesperson for Saltchuk Aviation could only confirm that Ryan Air Alaska joined "our family of companies in December 2022".

Saltchuk Aviation President and Chief Executive Officer Betsy Seaton told Cargo Facts at the recent International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) Americas Conference in San Diego that the company would strengthen its support for its customer base and core markets after taking ownership of Ryan Air Alaska while growing its own medium-haul widebody fleet of B767-300Fs. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module,...

Air Tanzania expects Africa's first production B767F

Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam) will become the first production B767-300F operator in Africa when it takes delivery from Boeing of its first dedicated freighter, the ch-aviation fleets history module confirms.

ch-aviation fleets advanced data shows the brand-new medium-body freighter, already registered as 5H-TCO (msn 67788), is currently awaiting delivery from Boeing's factory at Everett where it concluded its first successful test flight on March 19. Approached by ch-aviation, Air Tanzania Managing Director Ladislaus Matindi was unable to confirm a delivery date. Last month he said delivery was expected by the end of March.

A Boeing spokesperson could not immediately confirm the delivery date either. According to the OEM, the B767-300F is well-suited for developing new long-haul, regional, or feeder markets thanks to its intercontinental range capability and payload configuration. The aircraft benefits from advanced avionics and aerodynamics due to being constructed from a combination of light aluminium alloy and composites.

According to Matindi, Air Tanzania also expects four more passenger aircraft before the end of 2023,...

Claims of mismanagement at Oman Air under the spotlight

Philippine Airlines mulls A350-1000 order

Having considered an order for A350-1000s five years ago, the CEO of Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) has again expressed interest in the aircraft type, telling media at an event in Manila recently that the airline wanted to re-examine its orderbook and that the A350-1000 was back under consideration.

CEO Stanley Ng was not chief executive in 2018 when talks did not progress to an order. Previously, in 2016, Philippine Airlines ordered and later received six A350-900s via lessors. But it has since culled that sub-fleet down to two aircraft, as two were returned in 2021 and two in 2022 during a restructuring process. However, since exiting the restructuring and returning to profitability (primarily due to a shortage of international capacity in and out of the Philippines), the carrier is now looking to increase its capital expenditure, including taking on additional aircraft.

Ng didn't say how many A350-1000s he was interested in acquiring. Nor did he provide any decision-making timelines. But he did confirm that Philippine Airlines would re-activate its seven parked...